Anyone go to, know someone who went to, or just remember, Sears Charm School?

[trackfan]

One of my earliest memories is going to pick up my sister at charm school at the local Sears. I googled it, and find that Sears Charm School did indeed exist. I wonder how effective the school was. I dare not ask my sister about it, or she'll beat me up. (I'm 52, she's 61).

[knowbody0]

1. what memories you stirred

the parents gave me the "gift" of charm school. I rejected it and was quite offended that they thought me not charming enough. I cannot tell you how charming I would have become. sorry

[pacalo]

5. ...

You made me laugh out loud. If you think about it, it does seem offensive for parents to not already think we were fine just the way we were.

Charm school -- ugh -- wasn't for me; I don't have a prissy bone in my body. I am who I am, dammit. :)

[seaglass]

2. That brings back memories. My mom sent me to Filene's charm school.

All I remember about it was walking around the room in circles then we had a modeling show at the end. Not sure why my mom sent me, maybe it was because I walked like my dad - still do so I guess it didn't work.:rofl:

[pink-o]

3. My friend (57) was sent to Wendy Ward charm school

...Montgomery Ward was kinda like the Walmart of the 60s, only not as soulless and slimy. And no, my friend never became more charming. But maybe that's because she went to the cut-rate cheapie school. :rofl:

As for me, I think my mother understood a lost cause before she even considered the possibility. But what's totally unbelievable is that girls our age were still expected to be the perfect hostesses, housewives and use every trick in the arsenal to find a perfect husband--because after all, what good were women for anything else?

[raccoon]

4. Should we start up a collection for scholarships for those who need it?

Seriously, what does one learn in charm school?

[pacalo]

6. Did you see the movie "A League of Their Own"?

Here's a clip of the charm-school session:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAQLkYyWZyw

[bluesbassman]

10. I nominate Skittles as Headmistress of The Lounge Charm School.

:hide:

[texanwitch]

11. Calling Skittles.

She can teach butt kicking, a much needed skill these days.

[Bake]

7. If she would beat you up, perhaps she needs a charm school refresher course!

Because, you know, beatin' up is not very charming!

:hi:

Bake

[csziggy]

8. Going to DAR George Washington teas with my grandmother

Were a charm school experience in themselves. A total nightmare for me, since I preferred pants over skirts, being outside over inside, and was allergic to the perfumes all the little old ladies wore. The allergies were my out eventually since it was embarrassing when I sneezed all over the old ladies.

After raising two sons my grandmother got to dress up ten granddaughters in stupid "Colonial" dresses and loved parading the entire gaggle of us around in front of all her friends. I think out of all of us, only my oldest sister enjoyed it. I know I detested the whole deal.

[texanwitch]

9. Same stuff still going on.

Check out this Tide commerical.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9LTRbWsGOI

Leave the kid alone, she knows what she wants.

[vard28]

12. I did!

Holy cow! I haven't thought about that in forever! I'm going to be 50. My mom and dad sent me because I was always out in the neighborhood playing army and football with the boys. I completed my charm lessons, but I still ended up being a tomboy.

[texanwitch]

13. My Aunt always let me be who I was.

The only doll I ever had suffered, poor doll.

It was blown up by firecrackers, shot at by bb guns, amoung other things.

I had plenty of charm.

[vard28]

14. Ah...

A girl after my own heart! When I found out I was having a son, I was really relieved because I knew I'd make a much better boy mom than a girl mom. He's 16 and for the most part still thinks I'm cool, but it does bug him when we go for target practice and I'm better than he is!

[texanwitch]

16. The doll did suffer.

We were mean kids.

[EFerrari]

15. No but the girls in our class were taught how to sit and stand and walk

in 6th grade. (You'd think the first five years deficiency in these areas would have demanded attention, lol.)

[texanwitch]

17. Always cross your legs.

I remember that.

[Kennah]

18. I thought it was cross and then uncross?

[marzipanni]

19. The ladies weren't talking about

snake charming. ;)

[GreenPartyVoter]

23. At the ankles, not the knees.

[Habibi]

20. Oh, my god!

I totally forgot about charm school! I grew up in the 60s (I'm almost 54 now), and I remember some of my classmates going to charm school--and yeah, I think it *was* at Sears! It sounded kind of cool and kind of creepy at the same time. I think it was one of those things I was curious about but my parents thought a waste of money. Or maybe they were curious about it but I thought it'd be a waste of time. :/

[texanwitch]

21. For those of you who attended the famous Sears Charm School.

http://murphydomediaries.wordpress.com/
This might bring back some memories.


Click on charm school on the left hand side.

[LibDemAlways]

22. Raises hand. Yep, I attended Sears Charm School

back in the early 60s. I was probably 12 and the highlight was getting a free bra. That was a very big deal. The friend i went with had nothing to fill her bra with, but she got one anyway. Graduation involved modeling in a fashion show. Geez, I haven't thought about this in years. Thanks for the memories!

[Texasgal]

24. Mine was a modern version of "charm school"

It was at Foley's department store. In the late 70's.

We were taught how to wear clothing, shave our legs...BOOO! My Mom was pissed about that!, apply age appropriate makeup....etc. At the end we had a fashion show and got to keep our clothes along with a tiny fake gold star necklace! That's the Foleys Logo!

LOL! Funny, haven't thought about that in years!

[Manifestor_of_Light]

25. It was sorta useful.

About how to sit and stand. My mom would bitch at me about my slumping. I slumped because I was tired and didn't feel very good and needed lots of sleep. I was tired because of my non functioning thyroid. I was taking thyroid but it didn't make too much difference. It wasn't enough. She threateneed to get me a back brace and make me wear it. That scared the shit out of me. She and my grandmother were much taller than me and always stood up straight. They both LOOMED over me.

I got a charm bracelet with the word "DISCOVERY" stacked up in three layers as a charm.

I was not clumsy so I did OK. They did something weird with the make up. They wanted us to wear a color foundation lighter than our natural color face. And then darker on the neck. I could not do that because I am the lightest color they have, with a pink base.

:shrug:

[JitterbugPerfume]

26. I remember my uptight sister

making me walk around with a book on my head when I was all of twelve , and she was a grown up at fourteen, because my posture was just ATROCIOUS. She was all over the charm school scam.

[Odin2005]

27. WTF is "charm school?

:shrug: